Numb
by vickster51
Summary: One night changes everything.


**I've been wondering for a while how tragedy could strike Suits and I've always come back to this type of event, so I decided to write this one shot story before turning my time to Love & War. Plus, this is my solution to dealing with the disappointments of season 7 - surely it cannot get as bad as this right?! As always, thanks for the support!**

...

 **Numb**

They spent the journey from the office to the emergency room in absolute silence. Three friends and colleagues in a state of shock; desperate to reach their destination, yet terrified of what they'd find there.

It had been Robert Zane who had called Harvey. They may have had their differences, but he knew that they were linked through his daughter's adopted work family. Donna had known something terrible had happened from the moment she took in the pale look on Harvey's face as he'd interrupted hers and Louis's discussion about personnel. One look at him standing there in her office doorway had been all she'd needed to reach for her coat.

Now here they were. Sitting in silence, as Ray broke every speed limit in Manhattan.

…..

They spotted Robert Zane as soon as they walked through the automatic doors of the E.R. There were cuts and bruises to his face, but nothing more serious. Harvey approached him, taking the lead in this terrifying crisis.

"Robert? What happened?"

Mr Zane bowed his head. "We were on our way home for dinner. Laura had some wedding arrangements to discuss with Rachel, so, so it made sense for us to go together. I picked them up. He must have run a red light….I…It all happened so quickly…..I should call Laura….."

Louis looked horrified and Donna steadied herself on his arm. "How's Rachel?" Robert didn't respond, so Harvey pushed him gently for more information. "And Mike? Where's Mike?" _Not another car accident, please God._

At that moment, a dazed Mike appeared. His shirt was ripped, with splashes of blood across it. The cuts to his face had been stitched. It was clear to them all that his injuries were more emotional than physical. His eyes were wide.

Harvey approached him cautiously, as you would a wild animal. "Mike…." He reached out his hand to his friend, who seemed delirious. "Mike?" Harvey stood in front of him, his hands on each of Mike's upper arms, as if to anchor him down.

"They wouldn't let me stay with her….I need to be with her." His voice was at a pitch that Harvey had never heard before. Glancing at Donna and Louis over his shoulder, he saw the same shock and fear in their eyes. He lowered his voice, trying to sound as calm as he could. "It's alright Mike."

Mike however, broke from his friend's light grip and started back towards the trauma rooms of the E.R. He had only taken a few steps when a doctor appeared in front of him. It was one of those moments when time seemed to stop, as the doctor delivered the unimaginable news that Rachel was gone.

Louis choked out a sob and steadied himself against the wall, while Donna consoled Robert Zane; a man so filled with confidence and power, now reduced to a father, powerless to change his child's fate.

Harvey reacted on instinct; in two steps he was across the room to catch Mike as his knees buckled under him. One arm around his waist, the other around his shoulder, he tried to keep him upright, but his friend felt like lead in his arms and all Harvey could do was lower himself to the floor along with him. It didn't feel real, but he knew it was. He would never dream such a nightmare.

The howl of agony that erupted from his friend was like nothing Harvey had ever heard before and he prayed he would never have to hear it again. It was as if he'd been punched in the gut, but Mike was what mattered now and he held his friend against him silently as he wept, gently rocking them in a vain attempt to bring a sense of calm. He looked up to see Louis openly weeping, his hand to his mouth, to stifle his cries. His eyes then searched out his own anchor – Donna. The tears were streaming down her face, as she desperately tried to console Robert. There were no words any of them could say.

Robert moved suddenly, as if coming out of a daze. "I need to go and tell her mother. I…She has to hear this from me." He choked back another sob. "My poor baby."

Donna's voice was shaky but strong in resolve, as she told him she would go with him. He didn't fight her on it, simply letting her guide him to speak with the doctor briefly, before she said she'd call them a car. Harvey looked up at her from his place on the floor, his heart aching at the pain written across her face. "Take Ray."

She nodded and bit her lip to stop herself from breaking down further at the sight of Mike in Harvey's arms. Her eyes met Harvey's and he tried to convey to her with just a look, how much he wanted to ease her pain. Before she turned to go, she crouched down and kissed the top of Mike's head, her hands cupping his face. "I'm so sorry." It came out as a strangled whisper and brought fresh tears to Harvey's eyes. As he watched her leave, he looked to Louis, who seemed helpless as to what to do.

"Go with her Louis. Please?" His friend nodded and hurried after the others, leaving just the two of them. Harvey continued to sit in silence with Mike. People glanced their way, some with looks of sympathy, others with fear that they too could soon be in the same situation.

After a few minutes, Mike stumbled to his feet and turned back the way he had originally come. Harvey followed, not sure where he was heading at first. As they approached the swing doors of the trauma room, the realisation of the destination hit him and he tried to hold Mike back. "Mike, don't. Don't do this."

"I need to be with her." Looking at his face, Harvey knew there was no force in the world that would have stood in his friend's way and he released his grip on his arm.

As Mike took the few short steps to the centre of the room, Harvey found himself unable to move from just inside the doorway. One of the nurses moved to stop Mike, but the doctor who had delivered the devastating news motioned for her to leave him be. He glanced up at Harvey. "We'll need the room in a few minutes." He nodded his understanding and thanks for the small gesture of kindness being offered.

Mike pulled a nearby stool up to the gurney and crumpled down on to it. The nurses had already removed the tubes and respectfully pulled the sheet up to her chest. She looked peaceful, as if simply asleep. "I love you Rach." He laid his head on her chest and wept, his arm protectively across her body.

One look at the scene in front of him was all Harvey could bear before he cast his eyes to the ground, as the tears slipped down his face. He'd never felt so powerless in his life.

…..

Donna had been sitting in the same spot on her couch since she'd arrived home a few hours later. For the first time in a long time, she had no idea what to do. She could have returned to the hospital, but she'd felt the need to be in her own space, her own sanctuary.

Louis had stayed for a quiet cup of tea, before she'd said they should probably try and get some sleep as Mike was going to need them. Since showing him out, she'd remained fixed to the couch, her eyes staring vacantly at the television; a pillow clutched in her lap. She felt numb.

When the quiet knock came at her door a little later, she knew who it would be and rose to open it. She imagined she looked as dreadful as he did; pale face, blood shot eyes and shoulders sagging under the weight of such tragedy. She'd hoped he would come.

"Harvey…." She was barely able to say his name as another wave of pain came over her.

He was over the threshold in moments, closing the door behind him as he folded her in to his arms. Her bare feet made her seem smaller and more vulnerable as he held her tightly. She rested her head against his chest and sobbed, as he bent his head in to the crook of her neck. "I'm so sorry Donna. I'm so sorry."

They stood that way for what felt like hours, letting their tears fall. After a while she raised her head from his chest to look at him. _He looks so tired_ , she thought. "How's Mike? Where is he?"

Harvey took a breath. "He's with her parents. I didn't want him to be alone. I've never seen someone that broken. When he saw her…..," but he couldn't finish the sentence, the image too painful to remember. "He just lost his whole world Donna."

She nodded as she held him tighter. "I know Harvey. He loved her." She could not begin to imagine the horror of such suffering. She stepped back a little in his arms to better look at him. "Are you okay?" He had no answer to her question and instead she wiped the tears from his face with her hand.

He stilled her action, cupping her face, before pulling her as close against him as she could be. She moved her arms up and around his shoulders. "Harvey?" Her voice was full of concern. He turned his face in to her hair, breathing in the familiar scent of her shampoo and closed his eyes. "I just need to hold the woman _I_ love for a little while, okay?"

The words stunned her and yet at the same time seemed to be the most natural words for him to say to her.

Her arms moved around his neck, as she felt one of his hands move in to her hair, as the other remained anchored at her waist. She whispered her response to the easiest question she'd ever been asked. "Okay." She felt the kiss to the top of her head and her heart ached for the strange cruelties of the world; where something so full of hope and promise had to spring from such sorrow.

Emotionally exhausted, they collapsed on top of the bed that night, pulling the comforter over themselves. They both knew that the days and months ahead would be difficult, but for a few hours they took comfort in simply being together. After so many years of being afraid, there was now nothing more frightening than the thought of being apart.

As Harvey held her in his arms and finally heard her breathing even out in sleep, he knew that no matter what happened, he was never going to let her go again.

…..

 _Comments are always welcome. To be clear, I truly hope we never see this on screen! It would certainly be dramatic, but I don't think I'd be able to take it! I'll aim to get an update of Love & War up soon. _


End file.
